Blowing Bubbles
by Skye
Summary: Still in their hometown, Mikan and Hotaru spend a relaxing afternoon blowing bubbles. Mikan/Hotaru


**Blowing Bubbles**

Mikan ran around her yard, trying to help contain her excitement. Today was going to be devoted entirely to time with Hotaru... When she finally got there. It seemed forever until Mikan finally saw Hotaru walking carefully towards, carrying a bowl. "Hotaru!" she shouted happily, running over to her crush quickly. "What is it? What do you have?" she asked, getting ready to hug Hotaru.

"Careful," Hotaru warned, too busy being careful herself to physically stop Mikan from going about her touchy-feely routine.

Mikan stopped just in time, restraining her hand from touching Hotaru's shoulder. "What's that? A strange dangerous mixture that Hotaru-chan made?"

"Don't be so stupid. It's just soap."

"Soap? I thought we were going to have fun today! Not just CLEAN! That's not fun."

"Idiot. It's for blowing bubbles, like you kept blabbing you wanted to do," Hotaru explained.

"Really? Hotaru, you're always thinking about me, aren't you?" Mikan said happily, starting to hug Hotaru, but stopping as she saw the obstruction.

Hotaru found a level spot and placed the bubble mixture on top of it. She brought out different shaped wands. Mikan quickly snatched the heart-shaped one. "Eh?" Hotaru said in slight surprise.

"I'll make a heart bubble just for you, since I love Hotaru," Mikan said.

"You're joking, right?" Hotaru said.

"No, no way, I really love you!" Mikan said.

"Idiot. You can't make heart-shaped bubbles. Only round ones." Hotaru picked a different-shaped wand, dipped it in the mixture, and showed Mikan that indeed, the only shape bubble that came out was round.

"No way..." Mikan said. She dipped her own wand in the mixture, and then blew. It popped before any bubble was formed. "No way!" she repeated, and kept trying, repeatedly failing.

As Mikan, frustrated, kept trying to blow her bubbles, Hotaru calmly made many. Many at once, a large bubble that floated up quickly, and a steady stream with the help of a calm breeze. As Mikan saw this, she tried to make her own by waving the wand in the air, but still failed. "This is impossible!" she shouted.

"Not really," Hotaru said.

Mikan, not wanting to look foolish in front of Hotaru, kept trying, and eventually managed to blow one single small bubble. "I did-" Before Mikan could even finish talking, the bubble popped. "I can't do it!" she said.

"Are you finished?" Hotaru asked.

"No... Hotaru, it's so hard!" Mikan whined.

"It's pathetic to watch you doing this."

"But Hotaru!" Mikan protested.

"It's getting boring too, so I'm leaving."

"Waaa!" Mikan cried at her friends cruelty, watching Hotaru, back turned, walk away. "You're just going to leave?"

Hotaru turned around. Mikan looked hopeful. "You can still use it now, but make sure you return my stuff. Washed," she added.

"You unfeeling BLOCKHEAD!" Mikan yelled at Hotaru as she kept walking, seemingly unaffected. Mikan threw her current wand on the ground in frustration. She and Hotaru were going to spend the whole day together, but now she was leaving after only an hour. Mikan went inside to sulk.

In the afternoon, she came outside, and saw Hotaru sitting in her backyard. "What are you here for?" she asked.

"You didn't wash anything. I figured you might be that lazy," Hotaru said.

"So what! I'll wash your stupid bubble things, okay!" Mikan said, storming over to get them. Hotaru gently grabbed her hand and she stopped. "Hotaru?" Mikan said, surprised.

"You can do that later. Right now, I made something for you."

"Really???" Mikan said, her eyes wide. Hotaru pointed a gun-shaped object at Mikan. A stream of bubbles came shooting out. "WOAH!" Mikan exclaimed, stepping back, admiring the bubbles floating to the sky.

"This machine produces bubbles at a rate ten times faster than I can using normal methods."

Hotaru allowed Mikan to take the invention. Mikan stared happily, realizing that Hotaru had only left to make something for her to be able to enjoy. "Thank you, Hotaru! And one other thing," she said, smiling deviously.

"Hm?"

"You're ANNOYING!" Mikan shouted, shooting the bubbles at Hotaru. "Why didn't you just tell me what you were doing! Take THAT!" Hotaru blocked the attack, then ran, hiding behind a tree. "Don't think you can run from me! You gave me the weapon of your destruction!" Mikan laughed heartily as she continued to shoot bubbles all around. "Where are you Hotaru? Where-" Mikan spotted Hotaru. "THERE!" She took aim.

Hotaru pulled out another gun, much larger than Mikan's, and shot hundreds of bubbles in her direction. "This one produces bubbles at a rate one-hundred times faster than me with normal methods. You don't think I could allow you to surpass me, did you?"

"AHHH!! I'm trapped in a bubble! I'm floating to the sky! Farewell, Hotaru! Maybe I'll return after visiting the moon, in twenty years! I love you very much, you know!" Mikan said dramatically, but of course, she was still on the ground.

The two continued to chase each other around, until their surroundings were full of soap and bubbles, and their tanks of mixture were depleted. They then rested on a grassy hilltop, laying down, both exhausted from their play.

Mikan rolled closer to Hotaru. "Hotaru?"

"Eh?"

"I love you," Mikan declared, looking in Hotaru's eyes.

Hotaru refused to returned her glance. "Idiot. That couldn't be any more obvious, you don't have to say it."

Mikan was hurt and looked away. But as she looked back, she saw her normally expressionless friend smile. "Hotaru," Mikan said affectionately, and gave her a hug.


End file.
